MPs from Western have asked presidential hopefuls from the region to unite and support one of them in the 2017 elections.
They said they will not allow Western leaders to fight and undermine one another.
They accused Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya of undermining other leaders in the region.
“We will not allow any leader to undermine others. Such leaders should stop being childish. They should stop attacking others and instead use their energies to focus on working together with other leaders to develop this region. Anything short of that is undermining the community and its leadership,” said Nambale MP John Bunyasi, also the chairman of Western Parliamentary Caucus.
Recently, Mr Oparanya dismissed leaders from the community who have declared interest in the presidency saying they will not clinch it in 2017.
His statement attracted harsh reaction from former Deputy Prime Minister and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi. Mr Mudavadi described Oparanya as being one of the leaders from the region who wants to auction the community’s votes.
But speaking over the weekend in Malava, Oparanya seemed to have toned down and supported the initiative by the MPs to have all leaders united.
Oparanya said he had not undermined any leader and asked local leaders not to work in isolation but embrace others.
“I support all leaders from this region to unite and work together. What I am opposed to is self-centered politics by some people who work in isolation for their own interests,” said Oparanya.
Speaking at Bumini in Mumias East constituency over the weekend, MPs Bunyasi, Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East) and Geoffrey Odanga (Matayos) warned top western politicians to stop their wrangles and focus on serving the interests of the region.
Mr Wangwe said the wrangles among the top politicians cost the region in the previous years as they misled the community.
Winning team
“We have decided to unite. Our vehicle has taken off and we will not allow anybody to divide us. In the last election we were misled by some of our senior brothers in this region. They have time to deal and solve their own problems. We do not want to see them fight one another again,” said Wangwe.
He asked Mudavadi, Senate Minority leader and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and any other presidential hopeful to negotiate and produce one candidate who will join the winning team in the next election.
“In 2017, we will not allow to be divided. The problem is us leaders who do not want to unite the community. We will all support one candidate who will be in the winning team. We are tired of Opposition politics,” he said.
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Bunyasi warned area leaders against wrangles, saying they like dividing themselves without considering development agenda for the region. He said they will remain united to push for socio-economic development of the region.
“The 42 MPs decided to unite and fight for the interests of our people. We represent a collective interest of the community and not an individual,” said Bunyasi.
Mr Washiali said the community should be in Government in 2017.
“We will support the winning team in the next elections. We cannot allow ourselves to be in the Opposition,” said Washiali.
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